Heartbeat
by pikachucutie17
Summary: Not all blizzards were cold. Despite failing to catch the villain they were chasing, Robin and Starfire find a way to make their time stuck in an icy cave comfortable.


Summertime in Jump City was a mixed bag at times. Lounging on the beach and spending all day swimming in the ocean was relaxing for the Titans in between battles that left them sweating profusely. The flavorful iced drinks that Cyborg concocted was best enjoyed when the days were too hot for even stepping outside.

During a particularly intense heat wave, Robin resorted to wearing casual clothing when at the Tower. Having little air circulation thanks to his black collar left him sweltering, testing his body's endurance to the scorching heat. Having spent his younger years in Bludhaven, he had grown accustomed to cooler, milder temperatures. While the ocean did provide some relief, California temperatures inevitably rose. The city seemed to slow as no villains enacted any nefarious plans for the past several days. Robin was relieved at this as the Titans, himself included, preferred to pass through the heat wave at a sluggish pace without any strenuous activity.

When Red Star called them and asked for assistance in Russia about an unexplainable snowstorm, Robin immediately volunteered himself to go. Seeing some snow in the summer could be refreshing, despite the possible threat the storm held. Beast Boy started openly complaining about this decision, but then quieted down with a mischievous glint in his eye, saying something about an indoor water slide under his breath.

Robin gave him a side-glance, making a mental note to double check the Tower's water damage insurance. Red Star then politely asked the Titans if two of them could assist his team, as they were stretched thin across the continent. He also noted that someone who could fly would be best as they could traverse the continent faster.

The boys turned to Starfire and Raven simultaneously. Raven patted Starfire's shoulder.

"Here's your flier," Raven said. "I'm not in the mood to lose my toes to frostbite in July."

With that decided, the two Titans immediately set a course for Russia with the T-Ship. After some detective work on Robin's end, they eventually tracked down a facility where a new villain dubbed Eclipser was hiding. Upon sneaking in, the Titans found that her storm machine was generating unnatural wind currents to cover half of Russia in intense blizzards, allowing her to sneak into multitudes of national banks with minimal police interference.

Seeing an opportune moment when her back was turned, the Titans disabled the machine and attempted to nab Eclipser. The villain was true to her name, as she was extremely skilled at creating darkness to slink in, namely through pellets that emitted dark mist and killing the lights with an emergency power shutdown protocol. Robin nearly had her, as he was skilled in navigating the night from his time in Gotham, but Eclipser managed to dart away on her impressively silent hover car.

With the machine down, the wind currents would eventually die down, but there was still a villain to catch. The Titans rushed back to the T-Ship and followed in her wake. Navigating deeper into the blizzard, they closed in on the speeding hover car and managed to take out the engine. Touching down, the Titans could hardly believe their eyes when Eclipser was nowhere in sight.

"We cannot let her escape! I shall go this way. The two of you that way," Redstar commanded.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to split up? The blizzard hasn't gone down yet," Robin questioned.

"This storm is fairly mild, you will have no problem finding your way," Redstar said confidently. "If the storm keeps up, then return to the ship and take shelter."

"If we are quick, we are certain to find her," Starfire agreed. She and Robin shared a look. Normally they would hesitate to take such a risk. However, if Redstar had confidence that they would make it through this storm, then they had little to fear. He knew which storms were untraversable and which were manageable. And besides, as long as Robin and Starfire were together, they would find a way through.

"I'll mark the location of the T-Ship on our communicators. Meet back here if he can't find her. Good luck," Robin said. Starfire grabbed hold of his arms and took to the air.

Even with two pairs of eyes searching, the Titans couldn't find a trace of Eclipser. For all they knew, her dark outfit could have blended in with the scraggly trees or the rocky terrain they were passing by. In a moment, the freezing winds went from barely tolerable to whipping strong.

A burst of wind hit Starfire's side, sending the Titans spinning uncontrollably in the air. Starfire's grip unfailingly held Robin, but her flight pattern was severely hampered, as she was barely able to straighten her flight pattern.

"Should we head back? The storm is growing stronger here," Starfire managed, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"It looks like it's moving back towards the T-Ship. We could try, but we might not make it back in these conditions," Robin grunted, the winds chilling his very bones. Starfire turned to fly back towards the T-Ship, but the winds refused to let up on the heroes. Robin kept his eyes pointed downward to lessen the wind buffeting into them.

"Wait, Starfire land down there!"

"Is it the Eclipser?"

"No, but it's the next best thing."

Listening to him, Starfire brought them down, finding herself at the face of a rocky hill. Despite the dark of the storm, she was able to make out what Robin had somehow spotted.

"We can take shelter in this cave for now. It's not ideal, but the storm's getting too strong and this will keep us both out of the wind. We can keep searching when the storm lets up," Robin explained, treading inside to check for any resting bears. "Let's just hope we don't have any residents in here."

Starfire nearly missed how Robin began to instinctively hold his limbs closer to his body, his breath curling around him in a frosty swirl. While he wasn't shivering yet, thanks to his signature parka, hypothermia was a very real risk in an icy cave.

"If this storm is to continue, then perhaps we should build a fire," she suggested, her tone filled with concern.

"Good idea. Go ahead and grab one of those trees. We'll use the branches for firewood and the trunk to block wind from coming in," Robin said, already imagining the warmth of the flames.

Robin proceeded to make a call to Redstar to let them know what their situation was, reassuring Redstar that he couldn't have known the conditions given how unpredictable Eclipser had made them out to be. In the meantime, Starfire made work up uprooting a nearby tree and snapping off the larger branches. Setting the trunk to partially block the cave entrance, Robin used his birdarang to chop the branches into enough acceptably shaped logs to last them through the night. Arranging a neat firepit towards the back of the cave, Starfire heated the kindling with a stationary starbolt. Within minutes, a fire was blazing, bringing a soft glow to the dreary cave.

Robin, seated on the cave floor, leaned close into the fire. His breathing began to shudder, even with the warmth his parka provided him. Attempting to generate heat, Robin ran his hands up and down his arms. The cold wouldn't kill him, especially since the cave shielded them from the wind, but that didn't make the freezing temperatures any more pleasant.

 _If it's not the sun trying to wear me down, it's snow in summer. Go figure_ , Robin chuckled inwardly. He looked up to catch Starfire watching him. She had noticed his shivering.

"Heh. I-i-it must be nice t-to be temperature resilient," Robin chattered, trying to make light of the situation. He cringed at how obvious his shivering was.

"It is most useful in times such as this, but you do not have this ability," Starfire noted.

"My a-adrenaline is wearing down from chasing that lady. And I think I got a little too used to the summer heat back in Jump," Robin said. "I'll be alright. The fire will do the job."

At this, Starfire gave Robin a questioning look. A few long moments passed between them. Before Robin could open his mouth, Starfire stood up and walked over to her boyfriend.

"What are you-?" Robin started before becoming completely flustered. Starfire had seated herself directly behind him, stretching her legs around him so that he was practically sitting in her lap. Gently she draped her arms over his and nestled her head between his shoulder and cheek. Robin could have sworn his face turned pink at this intimacy.

"Perhaps the source of the fire would be more effective at warming you?" she suggested, some cheekiness in her tone. Beyond embarrassed, Robin could hardly get a response out.

"You're probably right. . ."

Sensing his slight discomfort, Starfire lifted her head to turn to him more fully.

"Is this comfortable for you?" she asked.

"This is fine for me." It wasn't as if he and Starfire hadn't spooned before. It was only that. . .

"Just, I'm typically the one who's sitting behind you. It's just a little different having you be the big spoon," he supposed. Robin relaxed and rested his back into Starfire, growing more comfortable with their current position.

"Different in what way? This position is certainly unusual for us, but I am guessing that you are referring to something else," Starfire questioned. The Tamaranean had an inkling that Robin was thinking about an Earthen custom that she had yet to learn. The two were normally in sync with one another's thoughts, but understanding one another's customs was always a work in progress.

"Well, I'm just used to being the one who you're cuddled up to, rather than the other way around," Robin attempted, knowing his explanation didn't make much sense.

"Are you suggesting that it is normally the male in a relationship that initiate such physical contact?" Starfire offered, remembering what she had learned from her many nights of watching romantic comedies with Cyborg.

"Kind of. I know that you're the one who initiates more and I really like that about you. It definitely helped us to get together," Robin smiled at her, flashes of their first kiss coming back to him. "I'm more talking about being in the more vulnerable person here. You're the one protecting me right now."

"Oh! You feel displaced by being protected as to being the protector," Starfire connected the dots. "I have been informed that the boyfriend is the one with the role of protecting his girlfriend."

Robin chuckled. Starfire had been on Earth for over 3 years now, much shorter than Robin's entire lifespan, and yet she could pick up on these customs faster than he could verbalize them.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that you're helping me stay warm. And it's not like we don't go out of our way to look after each other. I'm just still getting used to letting you protect me when there's not much I can do to help you right now," Robin explained honestly. The Boy Wonder simply didn't want to let his girlfriend down and give off the impression that he was weak. Robin's rational side told him that Starfire was proud of his strengths and there was no shame in letting her help as she had done many times before. There was still that niggling anxiety that he wanted to be honest with her about. The sooner he expressed such fears, the sooner he could confront and defeat them.

Despite these anxieties, Robin felt a sense of calm knowing that Starfire was with him through this storm.

"Oh Robin, you have protected me by locating this cave when the storm would not allow for travel. You have fulfilled your role, dear boyfriend. Now allow me to fulfill mine," she said softly, her warmth pouring over Robin. She rested her head on Robin's shoulder once more, snuggling into him.

"I suppose that's fair," Robin chuckled lightly.

Taking Starfire's hands in his own, he wrapped her arms gently around his chest. The two pressed their cheeks together, smiling at their closeness. Sighing contently, the two basked in the glow of the fire and the warmth of each other's company. Even though a cave in the heart of a blizzard wasn't the most ideal cuddling spot, the pair was relieved for that they could gain quality time out of a difficult mission. Thanks to the recent decrease in crime, the two had been able to spend many lazy evenings together at the Tower. Unfortunately, their disgruntled teammates had more than once walked in on their romantic time in the past month.

Most often, Cyborg would catch them kissing in unusual spots around their home and often told them to 'go that mushy stuff elsewhere'. He was probably rejoicing that they were out of the Tower for the time being so he could get some peace of mind.

Speaking of which . . .

"Hey Star?"

"Hmm?" she let out, breaking out of the trance that the warmth of the fire and Robin's closeness had on her.

"You know, my face still feels a little cold," Robin started as he turned to face her. She placed a hand on his cheek to check, concerned.

"They to have warmed sufficiently," she said, somewhat confused.

His heart fluttered for a moment before he leaned in unexpectedly. Starfire understood in but a moment and smiled as his lips met hers. She blushed for a moment as he pulled away slowly, a giddy smile on her face.

"You wish for me to warm the face that you claim to be cold?" she asked slyly.

Robin smiled and whispered, "If you'd rather leave it cold. . ."

Starfire took his cheek in her hand, her eyelids lowering.

"I would rather not."

She pulled him into a gentle and tender kiss. The pace was slow at first, the two softly pressing their lips together. Then, turning his body, Robin draped his arms around her waist and rested his hands on the small of her back. The two melted and Starfire clasped the front of his parka and pulled him close. There was a slight urgency, but the underlying gentleness remained. They kissed in the glow of the fire for some time until they broke apart slowly.

Starfire kept her hand curled on his cheek as she whispered, "You were correct."

"That I wanted you to warm me up?" Robin smirked.

"Yes, but also that your face was somewhat cold."

Robin moved his hand to run it rhythmically through her fiery hair, wishing that he could take off his glove to appreciate the soft texture.

"Well, I'd say that we're both pretty warm now."

"Agreed. We should be stranded together on more occasions. I thoroughly enjoy these moments alone with you," she sighed contently.

As she expressed her enjoyment, she reached down to lift Robin's legs over to one side so that he was seated more comfortably in her lap. Nodding to herself, Starfire happily leaned her head into Robin's shoulder and the two held each other close. Their breathing soon aligned perfectly.

"Where should we strand ourselves next? I can easily arrange it," Robin teased.

"Perhaps a location not as hostile as this," she said, gesturing the wind still howling outside.

"But the weather's a great excuse to separate from the team," he pointed out jokingly. Starfire snickered at his silliness. Before they had started dating, Robin would have never made light of such a scenario. Starfire prided herself in being able to bring out Robin's more normal teenage side compared to his domineering leader side.

"You are the leader. Can you not simply send them elsewhere?" she said, waggling her oval eyebrow.

"That'd be too easy. And obvious. I don't want Cyborg and Beast Boy getting too jealous of having you to myself." At this, Robin tightened his grip around her in a mockingly possessive manner, making Starfire giggle. Those boys loved Starfire like a sister and totally meant it when they, mainly Cyborg, told Robin to treat Starfire right.

"Raven can- what is the phrase- 'keep them in line'." Pulling her hand to her mouth to politely cover yawn at said phrase.

"I'm sure she'll have no problem with that. I don't think that blizzard is going to let up soon. We should get some sleep so we'll have energy in the morning," Robin suggested. It had been a long day of traveling and staking out for the two and a nap was desperately needed.

"Rest is most welcome," Starfire said sleepily. "Oh! Shall we lay on your cape?"

Robin froze, his face going cold again.

"What?"

"Are we not sleeping together?

"We are?!" he squeaked, pulling back. While he was more than happy to kiss her again should she desire it, asking her to sleep with him never crossed his mind. What shocked him even more was that she was the one suggesting it. Robin knew full well that Starfire wasn't as innocent as she seemed, but it was difficult to shake that impression of her at times.

"We will need to sleep together to sustain you through the blizzard. And you will retain more heat if you are not directly on the cave floor. Is that not what you wished for?" Starfire clarified, raising her eyebrow at Robin's reaction.

"O-of course. Right, good idea," he coughed out sheepishly. "That's what I thought you meant.

"Robin, what did you believe my intention was?" Starfire probed, trying to make sure she didn't unintentionally overstep a boundary.

"I- ah- thought that you wanted to . . ." he sputtered. Robin decided it was just better to say it bluntly to her. He didn't want to risk confusing her with more Earth slang.

"Um. . . have sex," he finished quietly.

" _Oh!_ My apologies, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable with such a statement," Starfire immediately apologized, her face taking on a red tint. She internally berated herself for embarrassing Robin like that.

"No, no, I get what you meant. Well, now I do. But don't worry about it, 'sleeping with' just a saying that can have multiple meanings," Robin reassured her, taking a moment to calm himself. It was just a simple misunderstanding, nothing that they couldn't handle he told himself.

"I see. Then I shall be cautious about using that saying in the future," Starfire said firmly. The two shared an awkward smile, which slowly formed into a sincere one.

"Sounds good," Robin agreed.

Leaning away from her, Robin reached up into his parka to detach his cape from his underlying uniform. He then stood up, reluctantly leaving the warmth of his girlfriend's lap and instantly feeling chills, and handed the cape to Starfire. In no time at all, Starfire had the cape perfectly flattened out on the rocky floor. She settled down and gently patted the section of the cape closer to the fire while looking up at Robin. He sat down and Starfire moved to wrap her arms around him so his back would be facing her. At this, Robin gently stopped her arms by holding her wrists.

"Robin? Do you wish for 'the space'?"

Starfire thought maybe she might have been pushing his limits for sleeping. He did like his privacy and she fully respected that, but this was odd to her considering he had made a move on her not too long ago.

"No it's not that. It's. . ." he sighed, letting their arms drop. "Let me do this, Starfire. You've done enough for me tonight."

Starfire squinted questioningly at him. Did he doubt her ability to handle the cold through the night? Or was this a classic case of Robin being stubborn and endangering himself by leaving himself more susceptible to the cold?

"I am capable of reserving my body heat. And either way, I will be partially exposed to the cold," she reminded him firmly. Starfire had believed that Robin was overcoming this vice of never allowing anyone to help him.

"I know you can. But . . . how do I explain this?" he wondered as he looked away, thinking for a moment. He paused, took a breath, and took Starfire's hands in his.

"I want to wake up tomorrow knowing that I've done everything I can to look after you, since you've done the same for me. I don't want to have everything done for me. Does that make sense?" he said as clearly as he could.

"So, this is a matter of pride?" she hit the heart of the matter.

"Exactly. And don't get me wrong on this, but the guys will never let me live it down if I let you do this. They don't think less of you or anything like that," he quickly added. "They just hold certain standards for me and I want to do the best that I can for you."

Starfire pondered his explanation for a moment, before relaxing her tense shoulders. Robin was not being stubborn for the sake of appearing stronger. He simply wanted to be a gentleman to her in any way that he could. While their predicament may not have required him to be a gentleman in covering her back for the night, Starfire's heart warmed over the fact that Robin would perform such small, but meaningful, acts for her.

"I believe I understand. Earthen customs are most complex," she said, gentleness returning to her voice.

Robin let out a sigh of relief. His communication skills had certainly improved from the days when him blurting that Starfire wasn't his girlfriend contributed to them being stranded on a hostile alien planet.

Starfire turned her back to him so that he could, at least in his viewpoint, uphold his pride and satisfy his need to protect her from the freezing wind off her back. The wind would still hit her front, but there was always her star energy to provide her warmth. Robin wrapped his arms around her and gently laid them both down, side by side. He was immensely happy to have his source of sunshine back in his proximity.

"They really are. I guess you don't notice until someone points it out," he said. The two settled on the hard floor as best as they could.

"Starfire?"

"Is there yet another custom that we must uphold?" she asked in a slightly teasing tone.

"Well, there is one . . . But besides that, thanks for being so understanding. I really appreciate it," Robin genuinely thanked her. How lucky was he to have an outstandingly understanding girlfriend?

"That is only because I have a patient teacher," she chirped. Starfire had certainly adapted to Earth's customs far more than she had ever hoped to and she wanted to continue learning if she were to remain by Robin's side.

"What was the final custom that we are to uphold?" Starfire asked after a few quiet moments.

"Oh! Well . . . I was kinda hoping for a goodnight kiss, but if you're too tired then that's fine." Robin had only brought it up on an impulse. He changed his mind and decided that, considering all he was asking of her, he shouldn't push it.

Without saying a word, Starfire turned on her back and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She then turned onto her side again and settled back into Robin, closing her eyes to begin to drift off.

"Silly Robin. You need only ask."

Robin smiled and gladly held Starfire close to him. He inhaled her sweet scent, as he too closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Starfire."

"Pleasant shlorvaks, Robin."

They soon fell asleep to the crackle of the fire and the rhythm of one another's heartbeats.


End file.
